Archive of Astrochemistry stories from C&EN

APR 2025	Dimethyl sulfide detected on K2-18b: Biosignature? (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
FEB 2025	Bennu: amino acids, salts, and more (2) (3) (4) (5)
NOV 2024	Cyanopyrene detected in TMC-1 (2) (3)
SEP 2024	Unexpected phosphates found on Bennu
JUN 204	Did Bennu originate from a water world?
JUN 2024	Sugar-coated Arrokoth? (2) (3)
APR 2024	Formation of glyceric acid
DEC 2023	PAHs found in Ryugu sample (2)
NOV 2023	CO2 found on centaur 39P/Oterma
NOV 2023	Phosphorus compounds found at the edge of the galaxy (2) (3)
SEP 2023	Carbonic acid detected
JUL 2023	First detection of benzene and diacetylene in protoplanetary disk (2) (3) (4)
JUN 2023	JWST detects methyl cation (2) (3)
JUN 2023	Phosphate detected on Enceladus (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
JUN 2023	JMST detects PAHS in distant galaxy (2) (3)
MAR 2023	Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer
JAN 2023	JWST observes coldest known ices (2) (3)
JAN 2023	Tissint Martian metorite organics (2)
JAN 2023	Speed limit for detecting biomolecules
DEC 2022	JWST probes PAH destruction
FEB 2022	Imaging meteoritic molecules with AFM
JAN 2022	COMs found in the extreme outer galaxy
SEP 2021	Water vapor detected on Ganymede
JUN 2021	Ethanolamine detected
APR 2021	Exoplanet with atmosphere 2.0? (2)
APR 2021	5 molecules detected on exoplanet (2)
MAR 2021	New PAH detections (1-, 2-cyanonaphthalene) (2) (3)
FEB 2021	HCl detected on Mars (2) (3)
FEB 2021	Water detected on the Moon (2) (3)
SEP 2020	Phosphine detected on Venus (2)
AUG 2020	McGuire in C&EN' "Talented 12" (2)
JUN 2020	Propargylimine discovered toward galactic core (2)
JUN 2020	Silicate and hydrocarbon aerosols on exoplanets
APR 2020	Methane formed in lab under interstellar conditions (2)
MAR 2020	Ammonium salts on comets (2)
JAN 2020	Organic mineral found on Titan (2)
NOV 2019	Formation of C60
OCT 2019	Formation of complex organics in Titan's strange dunes (2) (3)
SEP 2019	Radical-radical pathways to PAHs
APR 2019	"First" molecule, HeH+, detected (2)
FEB 2019	Glycolonitrile detected toward protostar (2) (3)
NOV 2018	Martian organics and electrochemistry
NOV 2018	O2 in Martian brines?
OCT 2018	PAH formation on Titan at low temperature
OCT 2018	Kavli Prize awarded to Ewine van Dishoeck (2) (3) (4)
OCT 2018	Molecules in Saturn's Rings (2) (3) (4)
OCT 2018	Biocompatible phosphorous compounds in space ice
JUL 2018	Large organics found on Enceladus (2)
JUL 2018	Nanodiamonds and cosmic microwave radiation (2) (3)
JUN 2018	Ancient organic matter found on Mars (2) (3)
JUN 2018	Methane ice dunes on Pluto (2) (3) (4) (5)
MAY 2018	H2S found on Uranus (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)  (The most-covered astrochemistry story in 15 years is the one where reporters can use the word fart).
MAR 2018	Carbonates on Ceres hint of water
MAR 2018	Chocolate (flavors) in space (2)
JAN 2018	Benzonitrile detected
DEC 2017	Low energy electron ice chemistry
OCT 2017	Origin of cosmic IR emission (2)
OCT 2017	Freon-40 in Space (2) (3) (4) (5)
AUG 2017	Diamonds for Uranus, Neptune (2)
JUL 2017	Vinyl cyanide on Titan
JUL 2017	Carbon chain anions on Titan
JUL 2017	Methanol detected on Enceladus
FEB 2017	Organics found on Ceres (2) (3)
OCT 2016	New ACS Earth and space journal
JUN 2016	Chiral propylene oxide detected (2)
JUN 2016	Glycine & phosphorus observed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (2) (3) (4) (5)
OCT 2015	Ethanol and sugars from comet Lovejoy C/2014 Q2
AUG 2015	Diverse set of organics found on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (2) (3)
JUL 2015	Buckyball cations in space (2) (3)
JUL 2015	Pluto's nitrogen and methane ice mapped by New Horizons
JUN 2015	Exposed Water Ice Detected on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (2)
APR 2015	Complex organics from proton irradiation of formamide in meteorites
APR 2015	Multiple cyanide species found in protoplanetary disk (2)
JAN 2015	Comet 67P's organic-rich polymer (2) (3)
NOV 2014	Organics detected on Comet 67P by Philae (2) (3)
SEP 2014	First branched hydrocarbon detected (2) (3) (4) (5)
SEP 2014	Ancient heritage of solar system water ice (2) (3) (4)
Jun 2014	Fullerenization of Carbon in Space
Apr 2014	Meteoritic niacin
Apr 2014	Centre for Astrochemical Studies opens at MPE
Jan 2014	Herschel detects water on Ceres
Dec 2013	First interstellar argon compound detected (2) (3)
Sep 2013	Unexpected organics in Sutter's Mill meteorite
Nov 2012	l-C3H+ detected in Horsehead PDR (2)
Oct 2012	SOFIA's first detections: SH & OD
Aug 2012	ALMA find glycoaldehyde near young star
Apr 2012	History of methane on Titan
Apr 2012	H3+: Molecule that made the universe? (2)
Mar 2012	Solid buckyballs in space
Feb 2012	AAS Laboratory Astrophysics Division established
Jan 2012	Complex molecules on Pluto (2) (3)
Nov 2011	Complex hydrocarbons
Oct 2011	ALMA's first light: the Antennae Galaxies
Oct 2011	Herschel finds cold water in planet-forming disk (2)
Oct 2011	SOFIA detection of SH
Sep 2011	Tentative detection of graphene
Aug 2011	O2 detected in Orion
Aug 2011	Ice on Snow White
Aug 2011	Meteoritic adenine and guanine (2)
Jul 2011	Enceladus rains water onto Saturn
Jul 2011	Interstellar hydrogen peroxide (2)
Jun 2011	Hydrothermal Chemistry in Carbonaceous Chondrites
May 2011	Protostellar Crystal Rain
May 2011	A Cometary Origin for Titan's Atmosphere?
May 2011	CO on Pluto
Mar 2011	Meteoritic ammonia
Jan 2011	Non-racemic amino acid production in ice
Dec 2010	H2C3 DIB assignment
Nov 2010	Oxygen on Rhea
Jul 2010	Interstellar buckyball, C60 and C70 (2) (3) (4)
Jun 2010	Interstellar anthracene
May 2010	Herschel: HF is ubiquitous
Apr 2010	Water and organics on asteroid Themis (2)
Apr 2010	CO & CH4 in Triton's summer sky
Mar 2010	Herschel finds possible life-enabling molecules in space
Nov 2009	Uracil made in the lab
Sep 2009	Protonated naphthalene and UIR bands
Aug 2009	Glycine found in Stardust sample (2) (3) (4) (5)
May 2009	Spitzer observes silicate crystallization
May 2009	Herschel and Planck observatories launched (2) (3)
May 2009	Countdown to Herschel Launch: 14 May
Apr 2009	Ethyl formate and n-propyl cyanide in Sgr B2
Feb 2009	O2 nightglow on Venus (2)
Jan 2009	Confirmation of methane on Mars (2) (3) (4)
Dec 2008	Glycolaldehyde observed in a star-forming region
Nov 2008	Center for Chemistry of the Universe
Oct 2008	Plumes of Methane on Mars
Aug 2008	Titan's ethane lake (2)
Aug 2008	Water on Mars
Jul 2008	Meteoritic nucleobasese confirmed
May 2008	OH radical found in Venusian atmosphere
Apr 2008	Methanimine and HCN -- at 250 million light years
Mar 2008	Cassini probes composition of Enceladus plume
Mar 2008	Amino acetonitrile detected (2)
Mar 2008	Extrasolar planetary methane
Mar 2008	Spitzer finds organics and water in planet-forming region
Jan 2008	MESSENGER: Mercury has blues and reds
Jan 2008	Tholins in HR 4796A? (2)
Dec 2007	Negative Ions in Titan's Atmosphere
Nov 2007	Prebiotic Formation of Adenine (2)
Oct 2007	Synthetic Formation of Adenine
Aug 2007	The Molecules of VY Canis Majoris (2)
Jul 2007	Hydrocarbons on Hyperion (2) (3) (4)
Jul 2006	Third Interstellar Anion Identified, C8H- (2)
May 2007	Ion-molecule reactions and Titan haze (2)
May 2007	PAHs and extended red emission
Apr 2007	Interstellar molecular oxygen detected
Feb 2007	Spitzer spectra of exoplanets: No water, PAHs??? (2) (3)
Jan 2007	Stardust: memories of Wild 2
Jan 2007	Interstellar diamonds
Dec 2006	Primitive organics in Tagish Lake chondrite (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
Nov 2006	First molecular anion identified in space (2) (3) (4)
Nov 2006	Titan haze and the origin of terrestrial life
Oct 2006	Spitzer analysis of Tempel 1's composition
Aug 2006	New organic species detected
Aug 2006	Deuterium hidden in dust
Jul 2006	Spitzer insight into comet composition (2)
May 2006	Meteorites discovered to carry interstellar carbon
Mar 2006	A new recipe for O2 on icy moons
Feb 2006	How to make stardust at high temperatures
Jan 2006	Stardust canister in "pristine" condition (2) (3)
Jan 2006	Stardust capsule lands in Utah (2) (3)
Jan 2006	Comet dust around dead star?
Jan 2006	Stardust samples return on Jan 15
Nov 2005	Hayabusa collects asteroid material (2) (3) (4) (5)
Nov 2005	Hayabusa lands on Itokawa after all (2) (3) (4)
Oct 2005	PAHs and PANHs in M81
Sep 2005	Olivine in Tempel 1 (2) (3)
Sep 2005	The Surface of Tempel 1 is Fragile and Porous
Jul 2005	Spitzer Finds PAHs in Starburst Galaxies
Jul 2005	Deep Impact: Powdery Cloud (2)
Jul 2005	The Chemistry of Tempel 1
Jul 2005	Titan's Smile
Jul 2005	Deep Impact Hits Tempel 1 (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)
Jul 2005	Deep Impact Observes Comet Outburst
Jun 2005	Deep Impact Nears Comet Tempel 1 (2)
Jun 2005	Methane from a Cryovolcano on Titan? (2)
May 2005	Chemistry in Titan's Atmosphere
Apr 2005	Organics in Titan's Atmosphere
Mar 2005	Enceladus Has An Atmosphere (2)
Mar 2005	The Methane Mystery of Titan
Feb 2005	Martian Formaldehyde
Feb 2005	Titan's Atmosphere and Ammonia
Jan 2005	Huygens Data from Titan (2) (3) (4)
Dec 2004	Huygen Probe Detached (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
Dec 2004	Second Close Fly-By of Titan
Dec 2004	More on Martian Methane
Oct 2004	Martian Methane Redux
Oct 2004	Organics on Titan
Sep 2004	Methane and water overlap on Mars
Aug 2004	Methyl radical and diacetylene found on Jupiter by Cassini
Aug 2004	Titan's methane and CO glow
Jul 2004	Titan's photochemical haze
Jul 2004	Tentative detection of Martian ammonia (2)
Jul 2004	Saturn's icy rings
Jul 2004	Titan from Cassini -- the smoggy moon
Jun 2004	Interstellar propenal and propanal
Jun 2004	Interstellar N2 identified
Jun 2004	New molecules discovered by Green Bank Telescope
Jun 2004	Spitzer finds "significant amounts of icy organic materials" in protoplanetary nebulae
Apr 2004	Methane detected in the atmosphere of Mars (2)
Jan 2004	Tentative detection of anthracene and pyrene in the Red Rectangle
Aug 2003	Amino acid detected in space
Apr 2002	Discovery of interstellar antifreeze
Mar 2002	Amino acids formed in photoprocessed ices (2)

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Maintained by DE Woon Updated 8 June 2025